Toy floating bathtub



July 29, 1969 R. J. LEWIS TOY FLOATING BATHTUB Filed July 21, 1967 INVENTOR. RICHARD J. LEWIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,457,670 TOY FLOATING BATHTUB Richard J. Lewis, Tenafly, N..I., assignor to Miner Industries, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 21, 1967, Ser. No. 655,183 Int. Cl. A6311 23/10; A23h 23/00 US. Cl. 4691 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy floating bathtub includes a molded plastic shell having bottom and peripheral walls defining an upwardly opening cavity above the bottom wall for holding water with at least the peripheral wall of the shell being hollow to provide a buoyancy chamber which extends around the cavity and causes the bathtub to float, as on a body of water in a pool or the like, even when the cavity contains water, and a pump mounted on the shell and being manually operable to pump water into the cavity from a body of water on which the bathtub is floating.

This invention relates generally to a toy bathtub for use in bathing dolls or in other play activities.

An object of this invention is to provide a toy bathtub which can float on a body of water, for example, as in a full-size bathtub or swimming pool, and which can be conveniently and realistically filled with water from the body of water on which the toy bathtub is floating.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a toy baththub comprises a molded plastic shell having bottom and peripheral walls defining an upwardly opening cavity above the bottom wall for holding water with at least the peripheral wall of the shell being hollow to provide a buoyancy chamber extending around the cavity for maintaining the bathtub in a floating condition even when the cavity contains water, and a pump mounted on the shell and being manually operable to pump water from a body of water on which the bathtub is floating and to discharge such water through a spout into the cavity.

In a particularly convenient and economical construction according to the invention, the peripheral wall of the shell is constituted by inner and outer peripheral walls which are joined together only at the top, as by an arched connection, so that the buoyancy chamber, which is defined between the inner and outer peripheral walls, opens only downwardly and the water on which the shell is floating provides a liquid seal at the bottom of the buoyancy chamber for trapping air therein.

Further, a preferred pump for a toy bathtub according to this invention includes a cylinder suspended within the hollow peripheral wall of the shell and having an inlet tube depending from the cylinder to enter the water on which the shell is floating, a plunger reciprocable in the cylinder and extending from the latter above the peripheral wall, such plunger having a discharge passage extending therethrough and communicating with a spout which projects from the upper end of the plunger to overhang the cavity of the shell, and check valves in the cylinder and plunger to cause the pumping of water from the inlet tube through the discharge passage and spout in response to manual reciprocation of the plunger.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the warper reed asin accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the top bathtub shown floating on a body of water; and

r 4 3,457,670 Ice Patented July 29, 19

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a pump included in the toy bathtub.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 in detail, it will be seen that a toy floating bathtub 10 in accordance with this invention generally comprises a shell 11 molded of a suitable plastic so as to have a bottom wall 12 and a peripheral wall structure 13 which extends upwardly from the perimeter of bottom wall 12 to define an upwardly opening cavity 14 above bottom wall 12 for holding water, as at w on FIG. 2. The shell 11 is preferably elongated and shaped to simulate the appearance of an actual bathtub. At least the peripheral wall structure 13 of shell 11 is hollow to constitute a buoyancy chamber 15 (FIG. 2) extending around the cavity 14 for causing shell 11 to float on a body of water W even when cavity 14 contains water w.

As in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, molding of the shell 11 is facilitated by forming the peripheral all structure 13 with an inner wall 16 extending upwardly from the periphery of bottom wall 12 and an outer wall 17 which is spaced outwardly from inner wall 16 and joined to the latter only at the top, as by an arched connection or curb 18 so that the buoyancy chamber 15 opens only downwardly. It will be apparent that, when shell 11 floats on a body of water W, for example, on water in a full-size bathtub or swimming pool, such water provides a liquid seal at the bottom of chamber 15 for trapping air in the latter and thereby imparting the requisite buoyancy to shell 11. Since chamber 15 extends all around cavity 14, the air trapped in chamber 15 imparts substantial stability to the floating shell to resist tipping thereof either about its longitudinal axis or about an axis at right angles thereto.

The toy floating bathtub 10 in accordance with this invention further comprises a pump 19 mounted on shell 11 and being manually operable to pump water from the body of water W on which the shell is floating and to discharge such water into cavity 14 of the shell.

The pump 19 may be conveniently of the type disclosed in detail in US. Patent 3,062,416, issued Nov. 6, 1962, and as shown on FIG. 3, may include a cylinder 20 having a suction or inlet tube 21 depending therefrom and a collar portion 22 at its upper end, which collar portion is formed with spaced, outwardly directed flanges 23 and 24 between which there is rotatably retained a cap 25. The cap 25 is internally threaded, as at 26, for engagement with corresponding external threads formed on a neck 27 projecting upwardly about an opening in curb 18 between inner and outer walls 16 and 17 at one end of shell 11. Thus, when cap 25 is screwed onto neck 27, flange 23 seats on the top edge of neck 27 and cylinder 20 extends downwardly through the neck into buoyancy chamber 15. The suction or inlet tube 21 is longitudinally dimensioned, as shown on FIG. 2, so that the lower end of tube 21 reaches to the bottom of peripheral wall 13 and thus is immersed in the water which seals the bottom of the buoyancy chamber when shell 11 is floating on such water.

The pump 19 is further shown to include a plunger 28 having a hollow piston portion 29 at its lower end which is enlarged to slidably engage the interior wall surface of cylinder 20, and a head 30 at the upper end of plunger 28 from which a discharge spout 31 extends a suitable distance so as to open over cavity 14. A discharge passage 32 extends upwardly through plunger 28 so as to communicate, at its upper end, with discharge spout 31. The lower end portion of passage 32 is enlarged, as at 33, and communicates with the interior of hollow piston 29. The enlarged passage portion 33 receive a ball check valve 34 which is adapted to seat downwardly on an annular valve seat 35 and limited in its upward movement by a series of circumferentially spaced lugs 36. A helical compression spring 37 is seated, at its opposite ends, in piston 29 and against the bottom of cylinder 20 so as to urge plunger 28 upwardly to the position shown on FIG. 3 where the top of piston 29 seats against an annular lip 38 formed at the top of cylinder 20 after piston 29 is disposed in the latter. A second ball check valve 39 is provided within cylinder 20 so as to be seated, by gravity, against an annular valve seat 40 at the opening of inlet tube 21 into the bottom of cylinder 20.

It will be apparent that, when plunger 28 is depressed against the force of spring 37 from the position shown on FIG. 3, as by a force applied manually to head 38, and then released, the upward movement of plunger 28 by spring 37 will create a suction in cylinder 20 to raise water through tube 21 into the cylinder. Thereafter, when plunger 28 is again depressed, check valve 39 prevents the back flow of the water from cylinder 20, and valve 34 is unseated to permit the pumping of the water from cylinder 20 through passage 32 and spout 31 for discharge into cavity 14 of shell 11. Thus, by repeated reciprocation of plunger 28, water can be pumped from the body of water W on which shell 11 is floating into cavity 14 of the shell.

Further, as shown on FIG. 3, collar 22 of cylinder 20 may be provided with internal threads 41 for engagement with corresponding external threads 42 on head 30. Thus, head 30 can be manually depressed and then rotated to engage the threads 41 and 42 and thereby lock head 3%) within collar 22. When head 30 is locked within collar 22, it is necessary to rotate such head 30 so as to release the same from head 22 before pump 19 can be operated to supply water to cavity 14. Such rotation of head 30 simulates the turning of the usual faucet, and thereby en hances the play value and enjoyment of the toy floating bathtub 10 in accordance with this invention.

It will be apparent that the toy floating bathtub 10 can be used by a child in a full-size bathtub, or in a swimming pool, for the bathing of a doll, or for other play activities.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy bathtub comprising a shell having bottom and peripheral walls defining an upwardly opening cavity above said bottom wall for holding water, at least said peripheral wall of the shell being hollow to constitute a buoyancy chamber extending around said cavity for causing the shell to float on a body of water even when said cavity contains water, and pump means mounted on said shell and being manually operable to pump water into said cavity from a body of water on which the shell is floating.

2. A toy bathtub according to claim 1; in which said peripheral wall includes inner and outer walls joined together at the top so that said buoyancy chamber opens downwardly and is sealed at the bottom by water on which the shell is floating for trapping air in said chamber.

3. A toy bathtub according to claim 2; in which said pump means includes a cylinder suspended between said inner and outer peripheral walls and having an inlet tube depending from said cylinder to enter the water sealing the bottom of said buoyancy chamber, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder and extending from the latter above said peripheral wall, said plunger having a spout projecting from its upper end to overhang said cavity of the shell, said plunger also having a discharge passage therein to communicate the interior of said cylinder with said spout, and check valves operable to alternately close said inlet tube and said discharge passage to cause the pumping of water from said inlet tube through said discharge passage and spout in response to reciprocation of said plunger.

4. A toy bathtub according to claim 3; in which said plunger has a threaded head thereon and said cylinder has a threaded extension at its upper end to be engaged by said threaded head for locking said plunger against reciprocation.

5. A toy bathtub according to claim 2; in which said pump means includes an inlet tube extending downwardly in said buoyancy chamber to the bottom of said peripheral wall so as to dip into the water sealing the bottom of said chamber, and an outlet spout extending from above said peripheral wall over said cavity to discharge the pumped water into the latter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,968,120 1/1961 Reed 46-91 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner 

